General Motors and AT&T have announced a partnership that will bring 4G LTE connectivity to vehicles within the United States and Canada. The collaboration between the two companies will begin in 2014 with 2015 model year vehicles.

GM says that an integrated LTE connection will allow advances for in-vehicle communications and entertainment capability. Among the services that will be available thanks to the in-vehicle LTE connectivity will be Wi-Fi hotspots, streaming video entertainment for backseat passengers, and faster application downloads.

GM says that the enhancements will build on the OnStar portfolio of built-in connected services.

Cadillac ATS

“In addition to allowing consumers to bring in and connect to personal mobile devices, the vehicle will also act as its own mobile device, enabling embedded vehicle capabilities,” said Mary Chan, president, Global Connected Consumer, General Motors. “Turning this vision into a reality starts with enabling fast, reliable and responsive connectivity within the vehicle. Through this built-in 4G LTE connection we have the opportunity to reinvent the mobile experience inside a vehicle.”

GM says that it plans to announce additional carrier partners allowing its other brands such as Opel and Vauxhall to offer LTE connectivity with details and options announced at a later date.

I've got LTE in my 8 year old tacoma, its my galaxy nexus. It has Pandora radio, navigation, podcasts, way more than you can do with a built in system. All we need from the auto makers is blue tooth connectivity to play the audio and do hands free calling.